Los Angeles, USA

Most of my friends know the story of Ron Sherrod.  He picked me up at Pier 93 in San Padro today. The Insignia was berthed next to the battleship Iowa. We had to pass through a Customs checkpoint to go ashore. This is part of the Port of Los Angeles of what most people refer to as Long Beach.  I have been here many times before.

I met Ron at almost midnight on the Mississippi St. railroad overpass in Memphis when I heard shots fired and called for back up as I climbed the embankment from the street. There at night, in the middle of the track was a man in jeans and a t-shirt firing a gun repeatedly at someone.  I drew down on him and yelled for him to drop the gun. Maybe no so polite as this.  He turned and pulled a badge and yelled back,"railroad police!" I was thinking,"What the hell is that?"

Anyway, we got it straightened out. He was shooting at some fleeing boxcar burglars who were making off with new tires, rolling them down the embankment into the housing project.  This was before Garner v. Tennessee. You could yell, "Stop Police!" and fire on fleeing felones.

I was having serious political problems with the Memphis Police Department. They had fired me and tried to indite me before the Circuit Court of Tennessee put me back to work. Long story - short: he was instrumental in getting on the railroad police, which in turn sent me to New Orleans.

I needed to see other opportunities, other than Memphis.  I met my wife Becky in New Orleans, which led to my children, Matt and Molly.

Ron looks like he is in pain, doesn't he?

This is the man I almost shot but led to the best part of my life.

So we got to spend the day together.  I brought a friend from the ship who wanted to see the railroad. We had trouble at the ramp because agents (what few are left) where tied with the President/CEO of the Union Pacific Railroad, Lance Fritz was in town at the ramp.  He was a Superientendent when I left.